Improvement in knitting-machines



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Improvement in Knitting Machines.

No. 123,100. intendiamo, im. lign. h

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HENRYA v. HARTZ.

Improvement nKni'tting Machines.l

N0. 123,100. i- Patented Jean.30, 1872.

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UNrrnn S'rnrns PATENT QFFICE.

HENRY V. HARTZ, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNlTTlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,100, dated January 30, 1872; antedated January 13, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY V. HARTZ, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Knitting-Machine; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying d awing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan view, Fig. 2, a side elevation ofthe yarn-guiding mechanism 5 Fig. 3, a perspective view of the loop-remover Fig. 4, a front elevation of the registering apparatus; Fig. 5, a vertical plan ofthe bottom of the ellipse; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the device for making the Prioche 7 stitch; Fig. 7, a front elevation of Fig. 5"; Fig. 8, a sectional elevation of the means for shitting the hand- `wheel; Fig. 9, a front elevation of the whole machine; Fig. 10, a side elevation of one ofthe half-rings, Fig. l1, a front elevation of the weight-clamp; Fig. l2, a sectional elevation of the saine; and Fig. 13, a perspective view ofthe shaft F2, its arms and teeth.

This invention relates to hand knitting-machines designed for family use, and embraces several improvements thereon, among which are, a device for widening', an apparatus for narrowing, a mechanism for making scarfs and other plain fabrics, an arrangement for preventing noise from the striking' of the drivingpin against the ellipse that carries the yarnguide, and a provision for throwing the driving-wheel out of gear with the serrated rings that bear the cams which operate the needles.

Referring to the drawing, A are a pair of rings of equal size, placed in a vertical position at an interval of six inches, more or less, and furnished with arms a, cast with the rings, and projecting from the upper edges thereof, from which arms extend lugs al, which are fastened to the frame B of the machine. The rings A The teeth C gear with a driving cog-wheel, C1, placed on a shaft, C2, that rests in a tube, C3, Fig. 8, which is supported by an arm, C4, extending downward from one side ofthe frame B. On the opposite end ofthe shaft C2 is the hand-wheel C5. A pin, c, placed at right angles to the axis ofthe shaft C2 is supported in an arm, c1, secured to the outside of the tube C3. The pin c passes through a slot in the tube into a circumferential groove in the shaft, and is combined with a spiral spring, c2, which keeps the pin in contact with the shaft. After pulling out the pin c the shaft C2 can be moved endwise, so as to throw the wheel C1 out of gear with the wheels C when the handwheel C5 is used for turning a well-known attachment carrying the spool, in order to wind `varn thereon. When the spool is filling with `var-n it is a mere waste of power and material to operate the needles, and hence it is better to disconnect the wheels C and C1, as before explained. The arms a aforesaid, together with other arms also springing from the rings A between the arms a, support the curved plates D placed parallel to the rings A, and inclined upward and inward from their outer edges, so as to be distant from each other at their inner edges half an inch, more or less. Grooves d are made cross-wise of the upper sides of the plate D, in which grooves lie the needles. Curved an gle-bars D1, concentric with the wheels D, are secured to the outer sides of the peripheries of the latter, at a suitable interval therefrom, by means of projections d2 on the an gle-bars, fastened to projections d3 on the wheels. At one end of each angle-bar D1 is secured an inclined plate, D2, extending above the adjacent plate D. rlhe plates D2 are secured to opposite ends of the bars D1, and are so placed as just to clear the plates D as the bars revolve in opposite directions. To the inner side of each plate D2 a supplemental plate, D3, is secured in such a manner as to be adjustable upward or downward.` The lower edges of the plates D3 are serrated, so as to form the upper boundaries of camgrooves that extend along the inner sides of the plates D2, the apex of one of which grooves is seen at d* Fig. l. The projections at the bases of the needles enter these cam grooves, and the needles are thereby operated as the plates D2 move over the plates D. The plates D3 are riveted to rods d, Fig. 1, the rivets passing through slots in thel plates D2. Screws projecting from the plates D2 pass through slots near the lower endsof the rods d6. Arms d5, pivoted upon these screws, are provided with pins which extend into holes made for their reception in the plates D2. Nuts dl, placed upon the screws, keep the parts aforesaid in place. By means of said arms and rods the plates D3 may be moved so as either to widen the cam-grooves or make them narrower. The wider the ca1n-grooves the shorter are the loops which the needles pull down, a-nd, consequently, the closer is the fabric produced. The narrower the cam-grooves, the more open is the fabric. From one of the wheels C projects, inwardly, an arm, e, Figs. 5 7, from the end of which a stud, bearin g a roller, e1, extends horizontally, entering an ellipse, E, Figs. 5 7 9, which is placed in a vertical position outside the adjacent wheel C, upon a horizontal rod, El, forming partV of the -fra-me B. The roller e1, as the wheel to which itis attached revolves,

' communicates a reciprocating movement along the rod E1 to the ellipse E. At the upper end of the latter is a frame, E2, into which enters a pin, e2, Figs. 2 9, that projects from an arm, E2, which springs from a tube, E4, that incloses a pin, e2, which projects horizontally outward from a bar, E5, Fig. 9, the same to which the rod E1 is attached. The arm E3 bears at its upper extremity a rod, c4, Figs. 1, 2, 9, which arm is inclined nearly parallel with the adj acent plate D, above which it extends. At the upper end of the rod e4 is a'plate, c5, through which is made a hole, e6. All the above-de scribed mechanism, from and inclusive of the arm E3, is for the guidance of the yarn to the needles. The yarn passes from the spool through an eye, f, Fig. 1, attached to the side of the tube E4, thence, by the side of the arm E2, through an orifice, f1, in a curved bar, f2, that extends back from the head of the arm f3, and is joined at its outer extremity to another part of said rod by a rail, f3. An elastic arm, f4, secured at its upper end to the rod e4, passes to one side ofthe curved bar f2, and is bent in rear ofthe same. The yarn is passed over the bent part of the arm f4, and is by the latter pressed against the bar f 2 while passing through the oriiice f1. To one side of the rail f3 an elbow-lever, f5, is pivoted, and to this lever an arm, g, is attached. Aprong, g1, from the arm g, passes across the face of the bar f 2 outside of the yarn. The bights or turns in the yarn around the arm f4 and prong g1 create a certain amount of friction. The arm g is of about the same length as the rod e4, and has an eye, g2, at its upper extremity. To the outer end of the lever f 5 is attached a slotted plate, g3,which, by means of a number of notches g4 made along one side of its slot g5, can be set higher or lower on the elbow-lever, as may be desired. A spiral spring', h, connects the lower end of the plate g2 with the arm E2. The yarn passing between the prong gland the bar f2 extends thence through the eye g2, thence through the hole e6, and thence to the needles. The higher the plate g3 is set upon the lever f5 the greater is the tension of the spring h, and its consequent strain upon the yarn, which may be diminished by lowering the plate g2. The ellipse E is moved by the pressure of the roller el upon the cages or frames E2 F at the top and bottom ofthe ellipse. It vibrates the yarn-guiding mechanism back and forth, carryingthe yarn between the two rows of needles. Pins h1 extend `from the inside of the ellipse one at the left ofthe cage E2 and the other at the right of the cage F. But before the pin el can strike the ellipse a projection, h2, 011 the arm e comes in contact with the upper or lower pin h1, as the case may be, and eases oft the roller el, so to speak, preventing it from striking the ellipse forcibly and with a loud sound. In fact, the working of the roller in connection with the ellipse is noiseless. As shown in Fig. 9, the cage E2 is divided by a vertical partition, h3, into two equal parts, each of which is sufficiently large to receive the pin e2. When the yarn-guide is in motion, the pin e2 being, as it were, passive with respect to the ellipse, and deriving all its movement therefrom, naturally always rises into that one of the spaces of the cage E2 which is for the time being' the rear one. Hence the yarn-guide, when in motion, must always be in line with the said rear space. This space is always inl rear of the apex d4, or middle point, of either cam-groove. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 1, the deliveryhole e is always behind the middle of that one of the cam-grooves which is giving motion to the needles. The object of this arrangement is to render impossible the skipping of stitches by preventing the yarn from laying itself over any needle till after the latter, having cast its stitch, is drawn so far down by that portion of the cam-groove between itself andthe apex d4, that the yarn can lay itself on the opened latch and so come, as the needle is subsequently depressed, between the latch and the hook, in order that the yarn maybe caught by the hook during its descent and thereby pulled through the old loop. The widening of the tubular fabric for the purpose of forming the heel of a stocking is effected by inserting, as it were, a wedge with a curved head into one edge of the flattened tube, which wedge is double, one part being in each side of the fabric. Those needles which have knit that portion of the fabric which lies between the points of the wedge-or, in other words, the

Yinstep of the stocking-must be rendered inoperative when widening is to begin. For this purpose I employ half-rings F1, Figs. 1, 9, l0, resting in grooves made lengthwise of the plate D above the needle. Prior to widening the blades l1.6 of the half-rin gs occupy these slots, said blades being of the same length as the plates D. Tongues h7 are attached at one end to the inner edges of the half-rings and are free 'at their other ends, which come next to the blades h6. Between the half-rings and their tongues are sl'ots h4. The butt of the half-rings have racks h5 formed in their outer edges. F2, Fig. 13, is a horizontal shaft mounted beneath the frame B at one side ofthe machine, and having at one end a hand-wheel, F3, Figs. l 9 l. When the operator wishes to widen'he moves the half-rings along the slots until the tongues h'7 have run under as many needles on both sides as he wishes to render inoperative. The effect of thus running i adjacent rack h5.

the tongues under the needles is to raise the bottoms of the latter so high that, as the pla-tes D2revolve, they pass under the needles instead of over them. The shaft F2 is provided with arms 7c, both of Awhich project from the shatt in the same plane and at the proper distance apart for the discharge of the function about to be described. The shaft is also provided with two sets of teeth, k1 7a2, which sets are at the same distance apart lengthwise of the shaft as the racks h5. The middle part 7c3 of the shaft is made four-sided, and this is for the purpose of furnishing a bearin g for a fiat spring, which extends from the frame B and, pressing on the part- 703, prevents the shaft from turning at improper times. Attached to the outside of each angle-bar l)1 is a plate, 7a4, Fig. 9. These plates are constructed with lips 7c5, which form channels inclined from the outside toward the anglebars. The plates 7a4 are also constructed with lipsl l1 next to the angle-bars, one in front and the other in rear of the lip 70". When not in use the shaft F2 is turned so that its arms 7c point directly aw ay from the machine, as shown Vat l, in dotted lines, in Fig.V 9. To bring it into play to begin the widening it is turned back into position shown in full lines in Fig. 9. The arms then extend past the outside of the angle-bars and lie directly in the path of the inclined lips 765. It should be understood that when one of the lips h5 is in contact with its arm 7c the other lip 755 is more than half a revolution distant from its arm k. Suppose the lip 7c5 that is on the front side of the machine, the one shown in Fig. l 9, to come into contact with its arm The effect is to move said arm and the 'shaft F2 endwise a little, bringing the arm 7c in front of the lip Z1 and the lower tooth ofthe set k1 into gear with the The next moment the. lip l1 passes under and raises the outer end of the arm 7c, and this turns the shaft F2 far enough to cause the tooth k1 to move the halfring Fl with which it is in contact forward until its tongue 707 passes under and renders inoperative another needle. When this takes place, instead of continuing,` the forward rotation of the handwheel C5, its motion should be reversed. The first effect of such reversal is to bring the inclined outer side of the lip Z against the head of the arm 7l: and, consequently, to move said arm and the sha-ft F2 endwise in the opposite direction to its former movement, so as to throw the tooth 761 out of gear with the rack h5. The next effect is to carry the plate e5 backward past the same row of needles by which it had just traveled forward, which row, however, has been diminished to the extent of one needle by the moving forward, as above described, of the contiguous half-ring F1. Therefore the row of stitches made on that side as the plate c5 moves backward will be shorter by one stitch than the last previous row. The next effect of the reversal of the hamlwvlieel G5 is to cause the plate e5, after completing the backward movement just referred to, to move backward again past the .second wedge is completed.

by one stitch laid along the back side of the i tube. The reductions in the lengths of the successive rows are continued until half the heel is knit-or, in other words, till the double wedge is complete. The heel is finished by the addition to the former of another double wedge knit in the reverse manner, the shortest row iirst, and from that to the longest row,

which should be right angles with the upper V side of the superior wedge.

This process is effected by simply turning the shaft F2 downward till its arms 7s are in the position shown at 2 in broken lines, Fig. 9. By so doing the upper teeth of sets k1 762, instead of the lower, will be successively thrown into gear with the racks 705, and the half rings D1 will consequently be moved backward step by step as the backward and forward motions of the wheels continue releasing one of the inoperative needles at each movement until the Then the half rings should be moved backward to the positions shown in Fie. 9, and all the needles brought into play again.

The instrument shown in Fig. 3 is used for removing loops from the needles. It consists of a handle, Z3, from the upper end of which extends a prong, L4, having on its extremity a hook, mi. To said prong' is pivoted a lug, Z5, entering a slot in the prong, and extending from a bar, in, whose point bears on the hook, being pressed thereon by a spring, m1. Abrusli. m2, is secured to the opposite side of the prong, A hole, m3, is made through the prong l* at the base of the hook m4. The process in which the instrument is chieiiy employed is that of narrowing, which is effected by moving the loop from the end needle of the row and laying it upon the next needle, which will then bear two loops. The manipulation consists in brushing back the latch from the hook of the needle by means of the brush m2, slipping the prong Z* upon the needle-hook by means ofthe hole m2, drawing up the needle till the turneddown latch passes upward through the loop, depressing the bar m so as to raise its point clear of the hook m4, pressing the needle downward till the loop slides over the latch upon the prong Z4, slipping the prong with the loop off from the needle, releasing the bar m so that it again presses on the hook m4, laying the loop upon the next hook, and finally pulling the prong from the loop without raising the bar m. When narrowing for the toc this must be done at both ends of the rows of needies, but when narrowing for the leg or foot it has to be done only at one end. The anglebars are each provided with a yielding' piece, m5, Fig. 9, against which the bottoms of the needle from which the loop is to be taken should rest. This piece yields when the needle is pressed downward until the projection on the bottom of the needle slips under it, when by a spring the yielding' piece is restored to its former position. In Figs. 1 and 6 u is an adjustable tooth, secured in a recess near the enlarged end of each angle-bar D1. Vhen the tubular fabric is making these teeth are turned point-s downward, and are inoperative; but when solid fabrics are to be made with the Prioche stitch every other needle on each side should be pulled downward out yof the fabric, so as to make it sufficiently loose, and the teeth n turned points upward. The result is that the teeth, as they are drawn past the bottoms of the needles, raise them to and leave them raised at such a height that as the needles of one side knit, their yarn is laid loosely over the needles ofthe other side continually, and consequently form a ribbed fabric, in whose ribs there alternates with each loop a simple curve of yarn, which is the proper description of the Prioche stitch, making very loose elastic goods suitable for scarfs, caps, &c.

In Figs. ll, l2, nl nl are a pair of jaws, jointed together at n2 and combined with a spring, n3, whose tendency is to keep the jaws apart. To the inner side of one jaw is cast a catch, n4, and to a web, a5, on the other jaw is pivoted a latch, o. G, Fig. 9, is a horizontal bar secured to the inner side of one of the rings A, to which bar is jointed between lugs o1 ol the inner end of a horizontal supporter, o2, which has a handle, o3, in the top of which is a notch for receiving` a teat on one of the jointed arms al. When turned outward at right angles with the bar G the end of the sup- -porterlies vertically beneath the space between the two rows of needles. In this position it is used to support the jaws nl when open, a teat on the lower part of one of the jointed ends of the same resting in a notch in the supporter, and the curved upper ends placed between the two plates D and one at each side of the open space. rlhe fabric consequently descends between the jaws. When the lower end of the fabric reaches the catch n4 the jaws should be pressed together upon the fabric, the latch o turned into the catch n4, and the supporter o2 turned away from beneath the jaws, leaving them hanging to the fabric and keeping the same taut.

In Figs. 4 9, q is a horizontal rod passing through an eye on the hanger H, and jointed at its out-er end to a bar, g1, which is pivoted at q2 to a plate, Q3, shown also in Fig. l, which is screwed to the frame B. The pivot g2 also supports a dial-plate, g, to whose back is secured a circular ratchet, g4, Fig. 4. To the bar q1 is pivoted a pawl, g5, which engages with the ratchet g4 beneath, and to the plate g3 is pivoted a pawl, r, which engages with the same ratchet above and in an opposite direc tion. A spring, r1, keeps the pawl g5 in position, and a counter-spring, r2, is combined with the arm q1. When the ellipse E moves toward the left it strikes the rod q, which vibrates the rod q1 and turns the dial-plate g3 a certain distance. As the ellipse moves toward the right the counterspring r2 draws the rod q1 toward the perpendicular, but the the pawl r prevents the dial-plate from turning backward 5 hence the dial-plate remains stationary after each movement until again moved forward. The dial-plate registers the number of rows that have been knit into the fabric, and the upper part of the rod ql serves as a pointer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the angle-bar D1, lips [c5 l l1, shaft F2, arms 7c, teeth cl k2, half-rings FL, and racks h5, as specified.

2. The combination, with the two rows of needles, of the angle-bars Dl D1 and the adjustable teeth n n, as described.

3. rIlhe combination of the arm E3, sector f2 f3, elbow-lever f5, rod g, prong g1, spring f1, slotted and notched plate g3, and spring h, as explained.

4. The combination of the ellipse E, pin lil, arm e, roller e1, and eccentric projection h2, as speciied.

5. The combination of the cage E2, partition h3, pin e2, and arm E3, as described:

6. The combination of the adjustable supporter o2 with the bar G, as explained.

7. rllhe combination ofthe tube 03, grooved shaft U2, pin c, and spring c2, as speciiied.

8. The loop-remover, consisting ofthe pron g Z4 provided with the hole m3 a-nd hook m4, the bar m, spring m1, and brush m2, as described.

9. The combination of the bars q1 q1, dial Q6, supporting-plate g3, ratchet g4, pawls g5 and r, and spring r2, as set forth.

Witnesses: HENRY V. HARTZ.

Tuonns D. D. DURAND, GHAs. A. PETTIT. 

